Isn't that the whole point of the Super 8's and every minute matters, because every single point you make earlier in the season affects your chances at the end. If you reset the points, very few of the minutes matter, and none matter at all once you're mathematically-certain of making the eight.



The play-offs might be a better way. At least it's competitive then.

Exactly, at the time no one would've blinked too much of an eye when Widnes winning by 2 points over Warrington concede a try with 30 secs left. But if they hadn't have done they wouldn't have found themselves in the Middle 8's.



Leeds vs Salford, people focus on how poor Salford were. That Leeds put on 70 on them instead of 30/40 could yet be the difference in terms of the LLS if it comes down to points difference.

7/12 of this weeks fixtures are dead rubbers. 3 of the "live games" are sorting out home advantage in the semi-finals whilst all the real excitement is in the middle 8's.......Blake Solly will crap his pants if Bradford go up, because it would decimate the 2016 Championship crowds





Wire v Catalans

Sheffield v HKR (if you think Sheffield stand a chance of going up you're nuts)

Haven v Doncaster

Widnes v Salford

Batley v Hunslet

Dewsbury v Workington

Fev v London

...all dead games.



If Leeds and Wigan win this week, then 6 from 8 will be dead rubbers. If Bradford beat leigh this weekend it'll be 8/8...If I am wrong and Leeds, Wigan and Bradford lose this week then it's 4/8 next week



That's 55%, 65%or possibly 75% of the fixtures in the next 2 weeks having no impact on the 3 comps.....every moment doesn't count...no matter what way it's spun!

No not every single minute will matter, but you bed wetters need to calm down about some 'tag line' they used that they came up because of people just like the ones complaining on here who said the old system meant that "games didn't matter".



I've seen Premiership titles in football be decided with 2\3 games to spare.....I've seen Aguero have to score a 92nd minute winner in the last game to clinch a title.



Some years you'll get close, some years you won't.



Saints won a GF thanks to a Sean Long DG, Leeds beat Saints by 33-6 in another GF. Sometimes you get close sometimes you don't. Only idiots would expect close every single year.



Yes they've called it "every minute matters".....some can be reasonable and realise it's just tag line. Others can screech about how Sheffield's last game of the season won't not mean anything and the 'tag line' is all a fraud.

.......what about the 10 sold out Super League games? Was that just a tag-line? Or the "increased" SKY viewing figures?

They expected fireworks and got a damp matchstick......the system is flawed in that Wakefield have been preparing for this and picking their games since Easter. The same team that got hammered at the weekend will now win 3 on the trot against lower ranked teams........Halifax, Sheffield and another championship side. They don't care about losing to HKR, Widnes and Salford.........the know exactly what they have to do! How is that system not flawed?



The top 3 of the bottom 8 were known before the last 7 games started......the home semi-finalists with 4 weeks to go....how is that not flawed?

If you're going by a team knowing it's fate well before the end then nearly every system is 'flawed' or you keep the Top 8 playoff system in which the very same posters complained rewards mediocre teams.



Which do you want?



Yes, the RFL will fire off sound bites about games selling out etc. that's marketing for you (thought you knew about that with selling hotdogs at NZ games?). What exactly do people want? For the RFL to downplay the new format and say we'll only see minimal difference the first year?.....Then you of all people would criticise them for downplaying and not marketing the sport properly.



If you were in charge would you go for the tag line "every minute MIGHT matter.....providing the teams placed 7th/8th do enough in the first 23 Rounds"......yeah very catchy and likely to pull punters in.....hell but at least you could say to yourself you were accurate in case Hull FC couldn't qualify for the Top 4 with 2 games remaining,

We had a top 8 playoff system that people complained was too generous.



We now have a Top 4 playoff system peopl complain is too harsh.



What we've truly learnt most from the various systems is that some RL fans are miserable 'insert swear word' who just love to complain about anything.

I'd never have retreated north to the heartlands and pulled up the drawbridge once we passed Coventry.



The only excitement in our domestic sport this year is who from Wigan or Saints will play Leeds at Old Trafford and if Leigh or Bradford might get the chance to replace Wakefield.........now, take a second here......go to google maps and draw a encompassing circle around those places on a map! Come sponsorship renewal time. I see brains faggots being a front runner.....





This system was designed to make it look like the RFL were forward thinking but I see nothing to change the dominance of the top 3 and I see nothing to get us away from a pay as you go sponsor!

Why should ever minute matter?



It's sport. It's a league. Why are we so worried about teams having their season ending early?



Would you all prefer the Grand Final to feature all 12 teams - perhaps league position could determine how many players you get to play or something.



Most other sports are secure enough in the quality of their product to realize you don't need to force a 'meaning' into every game for supporters to both to go and watch their team.

Do you really think that the regular season has been more competitive, why ?



It's pretty much the same, first of all with all clubs trying to make the top 8 (which in reality is a nailed on top 6 and then 5 clubs vying for 7 &



This is just the same as last season





The RFL may well get their dreams to come true, with the possibility of Bradford gaining promotion to SL but, they will be back in the "qualifiers" next season which wont really show any real progress.



Even though my club, Wakefield, would have been relegated. we should have 1 up 1 down, which would truly reward the club that finished top in the Championship.



It would be interesting to hear what the supporters of the Championship and Championship 1 supporters think of the end of season games.



What we are getting, despite the fact that there are some decent match ups in "the qualifiers", is contrived nonsense so that Sky has something extra to broadcast, which will increase the gap in quality between the top 8 SL clubs and the rest, which isn't good for the game over the longer term.

As a very long suffering Salford fan (I can remember the days before the Watkins / Hesketh / etc. era), the mid-8s have been anything but dead rubbers. With a defence against Halifax and Sheffield that could be used to strain vegetables, and the Bradford game memories (I've yet to meet a fellow Salfordian who can bring themselves to discuss the game), we are very worried. Very.

Wakefield have been dismissed too often : they could still suprise many. Leigh have blown a gasket but, as been pointed out above, their failings will be to their advantage next season. Halifax and Sheffield have impressed me. They should be able to utlise their experiences well next year. The HKR games have allowed Dixon to get over his Wembley woes and show he has bags more talent than some neutrals said after that cup final. The HKR team have done well.

So the upper school 8's look like someone v Leeds final : but most fans I spoke to in June were saying that. I doubt any arrangement could have altered that.

Give it a chance.